The conviction of Paul Manafort and guilty plea by Michael Cohen on Tuesday fortified both the pro- and anti-Trump camps in the political war over special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.

President Trump once again decried the Mueller probe as a “witch hunt.” The president’s supporters argued that the conviction and guilty plea underscored that the Trump campaign did not collude with the Kremlin to rig the 2016 presidential election.

“Where’s the collusion? You know they are still looking for collusion,” Mr. Trump quipped at a rally in Charleston, West Virginia, Tuesday night.

Mr. Trump’s political foes said the conviction and guilty pleas vindicate Mr. Mueller and give momentum to his investigation.

“No witch hunt here,” said Robert Weissman, president of the liberal activist group Public Citizen. “It’s past time for President Trump to stand down on his attacks on the Mueller investigation and accede to the rule of law.”

Mr. Manafort, a former Trump campaign chairman, was found guilty on eight of 18 charges, including tax fraud and bank fraud.

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Mr. Cohen, Mr. Trump’s former personal lawyer and fixer, pleaded guilty to eight counts, including tax evasion, bank fraud and campaign finance violations in connection with hush payments to two women who said they had sexual encounters with Mr. Trump.

The charges against both men stemmed from the investigation of Mr. Mueller, whose team prosecuted Mr. Manafort. The case against Mr. Cohen was handed off to federal prosecutors in Manhattan.

Former Trump campaign adviser Sam Nunberg said the courtroom action would not sway public opinion about the Mueller probe.

Polls show that most Republicans oppose the probe, most Democrats support it, and independents are split.

“This once again doesn’t do anything to help Mueller with people who think this is unfair and he’s just arbitrarily and maliciously going after anyone and everyone associated with Donald Trump,” Mr. Nunberg said. “I see this helping the president.”

Former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey said the guilt verdicts against Mr. Manafort were a “big prize” for the Mueller team and vindicate their work.

“Even though there is no so-called Russian collusion, Manafort’s involvement included pro-Russian elements of the Ukraine government and the success will add momentum and give the investigation more time to develop,” Mr. Coffey said.

Prosecutors said Mr. Manafort earned $60 million in consulting fees working for Ukrainian political groups in 2005, years before his involvement with the Trump campaign. The payment was not illegal, but the cash was involved in the tax fraud.

Mr. Coffey said the conviction in broad terms vindicates the Mueller probe.

Tom Steyer, the billionaire who is financing a campaign to impeach Mr. Trump, agreed and said the Mueller investigation is getting closer to the president.

“Michael Cohen’s admission of guilt is further proof that Donald Trump has long been intimately engaged with deceitful, lawless, and corrupt associates,” Mr. Steyer said. “The scrutiny surrounding any presidency is slowly piercing the defenses for their criminality and exposing the systemic moral rot that has surrounded Trump for years.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said the American legal system was working in both cases.

“Thus far, there have yet to be any charges or convictions for colluding with the Russian government by any member of the Trump campaign in the 2016 election,” said the South Carolina Republican. “It’s important to let this process continue without interference.”

He called for Mr. Mueller to conclude his investigation “sooner rather than later for the benefit of the nation.”

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From the article above: “Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally,”. Lindsey Graham is a Trump ally? That is why Graham want the Mueller investigation to continue? The American legal system is working, Lindsey? Mueller and Uranium One go hand and hand. Why isn’t Mueller in Prison, as an accessory to the Uranium One cover up?

The fact that NEITHER the Manafort NOR the Cohen “cases” have ONE. SINGLE. THING. to do with “obstruction”–much LESS “Russian collusion”–tells you ALL you need to know about the Trump-hating agenda of the Mueller witch hunters. We’ve got a bunch of TRAITORS attempting to commit COUP BY LAWYER on a LEGALLY-ELECTED American President–in FULL VIEW of the entire country, and NOBODY in our Obama-loyalist-infested government is doing a DAMNED THING to STOP this slow-motion, multi-million dollar TRAIN WRECK. There is NO WAY Pres. Trump should agree to sit down with these VIPERS, as their ONLY purpose in wanting to “interview” him is that they hope to trick him into contradicting even ONE SMALL THING he ever said in the history of the world so they can, you should pardon the expression, “TRUMP UP” a perjury charge against him!

[“No witch hunt here,” said Robert Weissman, president of the liberal activist group Public Citizen. “It’s past time for President Trump to stand down on his attacks on the Mueller investigation and accede to the rule of law.”]

That made me laugh so hard, my sides hurt..
They want trump to acceed to the rule of law?
You mean the same law, that let Hillary off the hook for WILLFULLY violating the national secrets act, with having a SECRET server in her basement?
The same law, that time and time again, has DISMISSED warnings on terrorists or school shooters,, then said “OOPS” afterwards?
The same law, that has stood IDLY BY as mayor after mayor has unlawfully ordered police to NOT ENFORCE the laws?

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